Reviews and Blog Posts: families

Jancee Dunn first hit the literary scene with her memoir “But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl’s Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous,” published in 2006. Upon starting that memoir, I realized that
I already “knew” Jancee after all. A regular writer for Rolling Stone, Jancee was also an MTV “VJ” on the MTV2 network, and if there’s one thing I knew about as a teenager, it was MTV. Dunn’s
first book was mostly about her career in the music business and all the hilarity and fame brushing that ensued. This second non-fiction contribution (Dunn also has a novel) is a more personal affair, centering on her family life.

In her first offering, Dunn described getting away from her suburban roots and making a career in the male dominated rock journalism world. But as Dunn gets older, she deals with all of the issues that arise when

by Jonathan Tropper

Still reeling after catching his wife in the throes of adultery, Judd Foxman receives word that his father has died and heads home to sit shiva with his siblings. An outspoken, dysfunctional clan, the Foxmans spend the ensuing week fielding condolences, tying up loose ends and solving old disputes. This...

by Sue Corbett

Every boy in Wil's family has taken over his small town's paper route on his 12th birthday. With Wil's birthday only a few days away, he's been practicing his paper tosses and learning the route - he can't wait until it's his turn! But on the day of Wil's birthday,...

by Yona Zeldis McDonough

This story follows three sisters in World War I era Brooklyn who help their parents run a doll repair shop. The girls love to play with dolls that have not been repaired yet, because they cannot afford to have dolls of their own. When the war starts, Papa can no...

by Pierre Le Gall

Naughty Constance has a unique view of the world. She sees her parents as terrible people and her house as an evil mansion. Her teachers torture her. The only good part of her life is her perfect cat, Tiny. One day Constance packs her suitcase and runs away with Tiny....

by Anna McQuinn

Lola loves Tuesdays! Tuesdays are wonderful days because every Tuesday Lola and her mommy go to the library. Lola packs her library card and her borrowed library books in her backpack. Then she and Mommy walk together to the library and return their books. Lola loves going to storytime to...

by Pierre Le Gall

Constance is sure that her mean parents do not want her and her huge cat Tiny to be happy. Her parents, teachers, and principal plot together to send Constance away to a boarding school for bad kids. Her parents say it is for her own good, but Constance knows better....

by David Lucas

Baby bear is bored. There's nothing to do. So baby bear wakes up papa bear. They go for a long walk and find a stick. When the stick breaks, they discover they can write with the broken pieces. Papa draws one line, baby bear draws another, and soon they have...

by Toni Morrison

When a mom drops off her three children at their grandmother's house, she leaves a written schedule for everyone to follow. But Nana has her own ideas about what makes a fun afternoon. And as a special surprise, Nana teaches the children a secret family recipe for peeny peanut butter...

by Clay Carmichael

This is the story of learning to trust and finding your family. Zoe is an orphan who basically raised herself, even before her mother died. She's sent to live with Uncle Henry, who is a famous heart surgeon turned withdrawn sculptor. He tries to relate to Zoe, but his moods...